How We Can Defend Against The Florida Bar:Some lawyers may be afraid to oppose The Florida Bar. I am not. Even if I am somehow misinterpreting the statistics, my personal experience tells me that innocent lawyers are wrongfully accused sometimes. Lawyers are the backbone of our judicial system. We all have a duty to protect innocent Florida lawyers and their licenses so that lawyers in turn are free to protect the public. This is true even when the threat upon the innocent lawyer comes from an ethics investigation by The Florida Bar.

Any lawyer offering you assistance as your Bar grievance defense counsel should be familiar with how The Florida Bar prosecutes attorneys and how the Bar's ethics grievance system works. Turn to me for a confidential consultation, and I believe you will conclude that I am familiar, too. So allow me to explain how my Bar grievance defense services might differ from others and what might set me apart.

First and foremost, I understand the delicate nature of your situation. No lawyers wants their reputation needlessly tarnished. I am willing to fight to protect yours. I understand that in almost all cases, it is best for those wrongfully accused that the very existence of the ethics investigation remains secret and goes away as quickly as possible. At almost every stage of a grievance process, there remains available an outcome that does not count as discipline. I can fight for that outcome.

Equally important is that I can assess for you just what is at risk in your particular case. I can identify all the likely outcomes. I can quantify in my professional opinion the likelihood of each outcome. I do not know why some Bar grievance defense counsel will not tell you exactly how likely it may be that you may face a "worst case scenario." Some may not even tell you the sentencing range for your alleged violation. Some may act as if it is a mystery what discipline, punishment, or financial exposure you could face. But the truth is, The Florida Bar prosecutors who evaluate your case, the Florida Bar Grievance Referees who preside over the bench trial of your case, and the Supreme Court of Florida justices who choose the punishment in your case are all restrained by both the required Guidelines for Lawyer Sanctions and a body of case law precedent interpreting and applying those Guidelines. Please do not authorize any Bar grievance defense counsel to spend your money defending you before you first receive a written, professional opinion of exactly what you may have to lose and exactly how likely it is that such an outcome will occur. I would be happy to provide you with my professional opinion.Perhaps not surprisingly, some Bar grievance defense counsel would prefer to remain silent as to what causes of action you might assert against The Florida Bar and what liabilities and responsibilities The Bar might have toward you. I will gladly share my professional opinion on such matters. In a proper case, I may even help you pursue relief in a proper venue against The Florida Bar.

If I defend you against The Florida Bar, you will have my undivided loyalty. That is not a criticism of those Bar grievance defense counsel who are former Florida Bar prosecuting attorneys. I am glad that they are on the right side now. I would prefer to always be on the side of defending lawyers.

Defending lawyers against The Florida Bar's ethics grievances is important work that I take quite seriously. Perhaps you just need my help behind the scenes giving you my professional opinion about the facts, the law and the people involved in your case. Or perhaps you would like me to serve as your co-counsel as you defend yourself against The Florida Bar. Or perhaps you want to step back and put all the defense work squarely upon my shoulders. However you need my help, it would be my great honor to be by your side during The Florida Bar's grievance process. I will dedicate to you and your case all the expertise, talent and abilities that my 19 years of practicing Florida law have given me.

The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertising. Before you decide, contact us for free written information about our qualifications and services.

This website is published by Law Office of Patrick John McGinley, P.A., 2265 Lee Road Suite 100, Winter Park, FL 32789. Patrick John McGinley can be reached at 407-681-2700. All calls are confidential.